Preparing for Ramadan is one circle in a bigger chain of preparation. In reality, every day we prepare for tomorrow, and tomorrow is the hereafter. So whether it is Sha’ban, or Ramadan, or any other season, it is all part of a continuous journey of preparation.

Today, we will go through some narrations and ahadith about how the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam used to prepare for Ramadan. He is the best role model, the perfect role model to follow.

First: the month of Sha’ban. Sha’ban is an Arabic month. One of the explanations mentioned for its name is that the Arabs would go out during this month on different paths in search of water. They would spread out, seeking water, because it used to be a hot time.

Now, from the authentic narrations, we learn that the Prophet ﷺ used to fast in this month. So let us hear from a companion who was close to him: Usamah ibn Zayd.

A quick background, so we understand the narrator. In Arabic, “ibn” means “son of”. Usamah ibn Zayd is Usamah, the son of Zayd. Zayd was the adopted son of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam before adoption was prohibited in Islam. Zayd later had a son, Usamah, and Usamah became known as “the beloved, the son of the beloved”. He was young, but he was close to the Prophet ﷺ, learning from him constantly.

Usamah describes the Prophet’s pattern of fasting across the year. He says the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam would fast so much that people might think he would never stop fasting, and at other times he would stop fasting such that people might think he would not fast.

Then Usamah approached the Prophet ﷺ with that inquisitive spirit. Young people often ask “why” and want to understand. And he had the best teacher to ask directly, rather than guessing.

He said: “O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting any month as much as Sha’ban.” The question is coming from someone observant, someone close, someone who actually saw the practice throughout the year.

The Prophet ﷺ replied by explaining step by step, like the best educator.

First, he said that Sha’ban is a month people do not pay much attention to. It is between Rajab and Ramadan. Rajab is one of the four sacred months, so people tend to pay attention to it. Ramadan is, of course, the month of fasting, so it naturally takes people’s focus. Sha’ban comes in between, so many become heedless of it.

Then the Prophet ﷺ lifted the veil slightly from the unseen and taught us something we could never discover by ourselves. He explained that this is a month in which deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds, and he loved that his deeds be raised while he was fasting.

ذَلِكَ شَهْرٌ يَغْفُلُ النَّاسُ عَنْهُ بَيْنَ رَجَبٍ وَرَمَضَانَ وَهُوَ شَهْرٌ تُرْفَعُ فِيهِ الأَعْمَالُ إِلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ
That is a month people are heedless of, between Rajab and Ramadan. Deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds, and I love that my deeds be raised while I am fasting.
(Sunan an-Nasa’i 2357)

Look at what this teaches us. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam is not only answering Usamah’s question, he is teaching the ummah a principle we would not know without revelation. And he is showing us how he diversified his deeds. He did not only rely on one type of good deed. Along with salah, good character, and all other good actions, he also wanted fasting to be part of what is presented to Allah in that season. It is like presenting a rich offering of good deeds to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.

And there is another key point here: heedlessness. When the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam says people are heedless of Sha’ban, this is a warning. Heedlessness is a killer of good deeds and a killer of opportunities. You are given a window, but if you are not paying attention, you miss it. Then later you realise the door was open, but you were distracted.

So what is the cure for heedlessness? The simple answer is the opposite: remembrance. Dhikr. To move from heedlessness to wakefulness, you remember Allah through salah, recitation of Qur’an, and other acts of worship.

And this is not only for Sha’ban. But Sha’ban is the closest step to Ramadan. The scholars used to say: Rajab is the month of planting the seeds, Sha’ban is the month of watering, and Ramadan is the month of harvest. You do not want to reach Ramadan with no seeds planted and no watering, and then expect a harvest.

So this is how the Prophet ﷺ teaches us to fight heedlessness: engage yourself in worship. It might be salah, it might be fasting, it might be reciting Qur’an, and so on. Any of these become a remedy against heedlessness.

And there is a connected hadith which highlights this principle: worship during times of turmoil carries a special reward, like the worshipper is swimming against the current while others are distracted or lost.

الْعِبَادَةُ فِي الْهَرْجِ كَهِجْرَةٍ إِلَيَّ
Worship during times of turmoil is like making hijrah to me.
(Sahih Muslim)

So the lesson is to stay focused. Whenever you become heedless, shaytan attacks you, whether it is Sha’ban or not. The remedy is remembrance of Allah. Live in the dunya, but do not let the dunya live inside you.

And this is why the Prophet ﷺ drew attention to Sha’ban: it is a month many people overlook, but it is a real training ground for Ramadan, and a window of opportunity that should not be wasted.

Based on the talk given by Shaykh Haytham Tamim to the Convert Club on 26th Jan 2026